Folding crate



A. H. BLAKEMORE.

FOLDING CRATE. APPLICATION FILED sEPL20. 1919. RENEWED MAY 18, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

ATTORNEY.

A. H. BLAKEMORE.

FOLDING CRATE. APPLICATION FILED sEP1.20. 1919. RENEWED MAY l8,1922.

11 A2 3,596. Patented July 25, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

ATTORNEY.

ARTHUR H. BLAKEMORE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

' FOLDING CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jul y gt'i, 1922.

Application filed September 20, 1919, Serial No. 325,152. Renewed May 18, 1922. Serial No. 562,034.

To all 'w ham 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR H. BLAKEMORE, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Folding Crates, of which the following is a specification reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The present invention relates to folding crates, and the principal object is to provide a folding crate adapted for the shipment of poultry orproduce, and which may be readily expanded to receive its cargo for shipment, or folded down into flat and com pact form for reshipment so as to occupy little space.

Another object is to produce such a crate, the elements whereof are all hinged together, including the top, bottom, sides and ends, so that there will be no danger of any of the elements becoming disengaged and so lost.

Another object is to produce the crate in as simple, cheap, strong and durable form as is consistent with the purposes for which it is intended.

With these objects in View, attention is called to the accompanying drawings, wherein I Fig. 1 shows a side elevation of anexpended crate;

Fig. 2, a top or plan view;

Fig. 3, an end view of the expanded crate;

Fig. 4, an end view of the crate in its folded or collapsed form;

Fig. 5, is a detail partly in section, showing the manner of mounting the end slats and longitudinal hinge bars;

Fig. 6, a sectional detail of the lock loop, the purpose of which is to slide along the lock bar and the upper slat when the crate is in collapsed position, so as to lock the crate in such position;

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail of the sliding top bar for the purpose of affording an opening in the top of the crate for loading the crate.

Fig. 8 is a modification showing. the manner of using brackets for attaching the hinge rods.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, my invention consists of thepeculiar andnovel method of mounting the end slats. The crate is composed of a top frame 1, a bottom frame 2, two side frames 3, and two end frames a. The top and bottom frames are hingedly or pivotally joined to the side frames by means of the hinge rods 5, which extend longitudinally along the corners of the crate. These rods are so mounted by merely boring holes 6 through the cross braces T of the top, bottom and side, frames, and passing the rods 5 therethrough, thus pivotally connecting the frames in such a manner that they may be readily folded down together, or expanded as desired. Of course, instead of boring the holes 6, brackets 8 might be attached to the said cross braces 7, said brackets carrying bearings 9, through which the rods 5 are passed. However, the simplest construction is to pass the rods directly through the cross braces as first stated:

The constructionso far shown is old, and no patentable feature is claimed in respect thereof. VVe' now come to the method of mounting the end slats, wherein resides the novelty and patent-able features of my invention. end braces 10 and 11.

steps as at 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16, l7, l8 and 19 on the respective braces. These steps extend parallel, but lie in different planes, be ing thrown into different planes through the transverse connecting ribs 20, 21, 22 and 23, These connecting ribs are of a width approximately correspondingto the thickness of the end slats 26, 27, 28 and 29, so that when the crate is folded together, the end slats will clear one another and lie snugly side by side. The end braces 10 and 11 are mounted at the ends of the hinge rods 5.

The end slats 26, 27, 28 and 29 are then pivotally attached to the said end braces at their opposite ends by means of bolts as 30, 31 and 32, 33, the ends of the hinge rods 5 serving to secure the upper and lower end slats 26 and 29 in lieu of separate bolts as shown at ea, 35 and 36, 37. The end slats are so mounted that the ends thereof upon one side of the crate will fall outwardly of one of the end braces, as for instance the end brace 10, and inwardly of the other of the end braces, as for instance the end brace 11; thus full clearance is afforded the end slats in respect of the steps of the end braces upon which they are so mounted, and so that the said end slats may be folded down snugly and will lie side by side as shown For this purpose I provide stepped These braces are preferably made of metal, and are formed into in Fig. 4. Otherwise, if both ends of the said end slats were so pivotally mounted upon the outer sides of the steps of the said end braces while the end slats would clear the said steps upon one side of the crate, when being folded down, they would not clear the steps upon the other sideof the crate, but would impinge upon that side against the connecting strips of the said steps of the end brace, thus preventing the complete collapse of the crate.

To look the crate in open position, I pro vide a lock bar 38 which is pivotally mounted over one of the upper hinge bars at the end thereof, as shown at 34, and extends diagonally downward to the opposite and lower hinge bar, the end of which it engages by means of a hole 39 which sets over the end 37 of the said hinge bar. A cotter pin 40 is then inserted through the end of said hinge bar, thus locking the bar 38 in position, andlock-ing the crate in expanded form. A lock loop 41 encircles both the lock bar 38 and the upper end slat 26, whereby when the crate is in collapsed position as shown in Fig. l, it may be locked in that position by merely sliding the lock loop 41 along toward the middle of the crate.

The opposite end of the crate is, of course, similarly constructed, and is an exact duplicate of the construction of the end above described. A sliding bar as 42 slidingly mounted Within the brackets 43, secured to the cross braces of the top ftriame, provides ready means for loading the crate by merely withdrawing said bar.

The operation of the crate is apparent. The crate is readily opened or expanded by merely elevating the side frames to meat cal position, and disposing the lock bars diagonally across the ends and loclrin'g the free ends over the exteriorends of the hinge bars by means of the cotter pins :as described. Likewise, the crate is readily collapsed by reversing this operation, and is flocked in its collapsed position by manipulation of the lock loop as described.

While I have herein described a certain specific manner and method of constructing and assembling the elements of my inven tion, it is understood that I may vary from the same in minor details, not departing from the spirit of my invention, so as best to construct a practical device for the purpose intended, as defined in the appended claims.

l/Vha't I claim to be new and patenta ble is:

1. A folding crate, including collapsible and frames, each of the latter including two stepped, parallel, spaced and similarly positioned end braces, and parallel slats extended between and pivotally attached to the steps of said end braces, so that the ends of the slats upon one side of the crate will fall outwardly of one of the end braces, and inwardly of the other of the end braces.

2. A folding crate, including collapsible end frames, the latter including stepped, parallel and spaced end braces, and parallel slats extended between and pivotally attached to the steps of said end braces, so

slats upon one side of the crate will fall outwardly of one of the end braces, and inwardly of the other of the end braces; means for locking the crate in expanded position; means for locking the crate in collapsed position; and any means for loading the expanded crate.

4. A folding crate, including collapsible end frames, thenlatter including stepped parallel and spaced end braces, and parallel slats extended between and pivotally attached to the steps of said end braces, so that the ends or" the slats upon one side of the crate will fall outwardly of one ofthe end braces, and inwardlyof the-other of the end braces; and a loclcbar permanently pivoted to one corner, or each end frame and adapted to extend diagonally across to and detachably engagethe diagonally opposite corner, to hold the crate in expanded {position, and to fold down alongside the slats of the end frame when the crate is in collapsed position.

5. A'folding crate, comprising top, bot tom and side frames hingedly connected at their edges so as to form a collapsible and expansible structure; an end frame mounted ateach end of the structure, :each frame including two stepped, parallel a-ndspaced end braces, and parallel slats pivotally connected at their ends with the opposite faces of said steps; any means for loading the expanded crate; and means for locking the crate in expanded position.

6. A folding crate, comprising top, bottom and side frames pivotally connectedat' their adjacent, longitudinal edges, by means of a hinge rodat each corner interlockingly engaging same, said hinge rods being 'extended at their ends as means for engaging the end frames; end itrames for the struc ture, each including two stepped, similarly positioned end braces pivotally mounted over the extended ends of said hinge rods, and parallel slats extended between and pivotally connected to said steps of said braces, so that the ends of the slats upon one side of the crate will fall outwardly of one of the end braces, and inwardly of the other of the end braces; a sliding bar in the top frame, for loading the expanded crate; and a lockbar permanently pivoted to one extended hinge rod, exteriorly of each end frame, and adapted to detachably engage the diagonally opposite hinge bar, to hold the crate in expanded position, and adapted to fold down along the end frame slats when the crate is collapsed.

7. A. folding crate, comprising top, bottom and side frames pivotally connected at their adjacent, longitudinal edges, by means of a hinge rod at each corner interlockingly engaging same, said hinge rods being extended at their ends as means for engaging the end frames; end frames for the structure, each including two stepped, similarly positioned end braces pivotally mounted over the extended ends of said hinge rods, and parallel slats extended between and pivotally connected to said steps of said braces, so that the ends of the slats upon one side of the crate will fall outwardly of one of the end braces, and inwardly of the other of the end braces; a sliding bar in the, top frame, for loading the expanded crate; a lock-bar permanently pivoted to one extended hinge rod, exteriorly of each end frame, and adapted to detachably engage the diagonally opposite hinge-bar, to hold the crate in expanded position, and adapted to fold down along the end frame slats when the crate is collapsed; and a lock-loop encircling said lock-bar and the upper slat of each end frame, and adapted to be slid inwardly, to hold the crate in collapsed posi tion.

8. A folding crate, comprising top, bottom and side frames pivotally connected at their adjacent, longitudinal edges, by means of a hinge rod at each corner interlockingly engaging same, said hinge rods being ex tended at their ends as means for engaging the end frames; end frames for the structure, each including two stepped, similarly positioned end braces pivotally mounted over the extended ends of said hinge rods, and parallel slats extended between and 131?- otally connected to said steps of said braces, so that the ends of the slats upon one side of the crate will fall outwardly of one of the end braces, and inwardly of the other of the end braces; a lock-bar permanently pivoted to one extended hinge rod, exteriorly of each end frame, and adapted to detachably engage the diagonally opposite hinge bar, to hold the crate in expanded position, and adapted to fold down along the end frame slats when the crate is collapsed; and

a lock-loop encircling said lock-bar and the upper slat of each end frame, and adapted to be slid inwardly, to hold the crate in collapsed position.

9. folding crate, comprising top, bottom and side frames pivotally connected at their adjacent, longitudinal edges, by means of a hinge rod at each corner interlockingly engaging same, said hinge rods being extended at their ends as means for engaging the end frames; end frames for the structure," each including two stepped, similarly positioned end braces pivotally mounted over the extended ends of said hinge rods, and parallel slats extended between and pivotally connected to said steps of said braces, so that the ends of the slats upon one side of the crate will fall outwardly of one of the end braces, and inwardly of the other of the end braces; means for locking the crate in expanded position; and means for locking the crate in collapsed position.

10. A folding crate, comprising top, bottom and side frames hingedly connected at their edges so as to form a collapsible and expansible structure; an end frame mounted at each end of the structure, each frame including two stepped, parallel and spaced end braces, and parallel slats pivotally connected at their ends with the opposite faces of said steps, so that the ends of the slats upon one side of the crate will fall outwardly'of one of the end braces, and inwardly of the other of the end braces; and a lock-bar permanentlypivoted to one corner of each end frame and adapted to extend diagonally across to and detachably engage the diagonally opposite corner, to hold the crate in expanded position, and to fold down alongside the slats of the end frame when the crate is in collapsed position.

11. A folding crate, comprising top, bottom and side frames hingedly connected at their edges so as to form a collapsible and expansible structure; an end frame mounted at each end of the structure, each frame including two stepped, parallel and spaced end braces, and parallel slats pivotally connected at their ends with the opposite faces of said steps, so that the ends of the slats upon one side of the crate will fall outwardly of one of the end braces, and inwardly of the other of the end braces; a lock-bar permanently pivoted to one corner of each end frame and adapted to extend diagonally across to and detachably engage the diagonally opposite corner, to hold the crate in expanded position, and to fold down alongside the slats of the end frame when the crate is in collapsed position; and any means for loading the expanded crate.

ARTHUR H. BLAKEMORE. lVitnesses:

J. T. CLAIBORNE, W. C. COOPER. 

